The Comic Book Catacombs 2008 "Ghoulie" Awards

I've been blogging from the Catacombs for more than a year now, and to celebrate I am starting a new year end tradition of singling out my own "favorites" of the past year. Posts, featurettes, reviews or other stuff that I posted during the calendar year of 2008, along with one special recognition for above and beyond the call of duty. We'll call these the "Ghoulie" Awards (and I hope that all of you truly appreciate me slipping on my Sunday Best for this portrait).

Best 2008 Classic Comics Story or Strip Nominees

"Crime Lab" Wanted #34 (Feb. 1951; Courtesy of THOIA)
"Riotmascope Presents "How To Marry A Billionaire!" (courtesy of THOIA)
Rulah, Jungle Goddess and "The Pigeons of Flame" (Fox Comics)
Rulah Jungle Goddess in "The Ghoul of Galhalla" (Fox Comics)
"Sandflower of Venus" (Ziff-Davis; courtesy of THOIA)

*Winner: "Sandflower of Venus"

Out of all the comics stories, that I posted this year, Sandflower was easily my absolute favorite of the bunch. Karswell from "The Horrors Of It All" blog, sent it my way after an appeal for more comics material and I was blown away from the first moment that I read it.

Best 2008 Featurette Nominees

75th Anniversary Salute to The Man of Bronze
All-New, All-Different X-Men, X-tra
Profile Antics: Colleen Doran
Profile Antics: Stephanie Gladden
Remember the "New" Teen Titans

*Winner: 75th Anniversary Salute to The Man of Bronze

I discovered Doc Savage as a young teenager when I first read The Lost Oasis, and it grabbed me in a very powerful way. So many comic book characters owe a huge debt of gratitude to Doc's creator, Lester Dent, whose pulp novel icon originated many genre staples that were later successfully aped by other - but Doc had often done it first.

Best ‘1970’s Flashback’ Nominees

Devil Dinosaur
The Hands of Shang Chi
Marvel Two-In-One
The Brute (Atlas/Seaboard Comics)
Sons of the Tiger

*Winner: The Hands of Shang Chi

The "Flashbacks" continue to be source of fun, and despite how many I've posted, there are many more to come AND some day, the Flashbacks WILL leap forward to the 1980's, probably the last decade where truly traditional comic books really did finally die off.

Best "Gal" Friday Nominees

Alice Goodwin
Amanda Seyfried
Manuela Arcuri
Marg Helgenberger
Vida Guerra

*Winner: Vida Guerra

The toughest category to whittle down by far, with strong honorable mentions going out to Michelle Ryan and Kelly Monaco (whose posted photos were really awesome), but who were not official "Gal" Friday's.

Best 2008 Movie Review Nominees

The Dark Knight
Hellboy II The Golden Army
Iron Man
Quantum of Solace

*Winner: Hellboy II The Golden Army

Not necessarily the best genre movie of the year, but simply the review that tickled me as I read back through my posted comments.

Worst 2008 Featurette Nominees

Captain’s Trading Post
NBC TV "Heroes" (just because the show itself went so far south)
Somethings Missing

*Loser/?: Captain’s Trading Post

My idea to reinvent a favorite past-time from my youth (swapping comics and stuff) failed to garner even a flicker of interest.

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If you happened to notice all of the "Courtesy of THOIA" credits in the top category, then you will certainly understand why ye olde editor was able to easily select the winner of the Special Recognition Award. My pal, Karswell maintains one of the most interesting blogs on the web. You will find it in my links section as 'The Horrors Of It All'. If you've never visited there, then I highly encourage you to pop in immediately to enjoy his daily postings of classic golden & silver age horror-themed comics - plus other similar items of interest. His regular heads up announcements for pending monster-esque films on Turner Classic Movies (and other channels) alone is worth the price of admission (so to speak), and either way you will be glad that you stopped by his house. So, without further ado, let me say thanks and congratulations to Karswell by awarding him his very own "Ghoulie" for passing along his odds & ends comics stories for me to share with visitors here in the Catacombs. I appreciate it!

Special Achievement "Ghoulie"

*Winner: Steve Banes (aka Karswell)